Do you believe in ...

[MrAJJONES]

Do you believe in switching from Major to minor during songs while improvising. Do you like the sound of it. I just started doing this on a regular basis about a year ago. Have you experimented with it.  I do it it mostly to change or enhance the mood of the song. That's just me!!!!

[musallio]

I'm still new to the keys.
I've never tried it.
Ok, maybe once, but then I fail to proceed on playing with the minor.

It really does enhance the song.
I've been trying to put what T-Block taught into practice:

According to him, you can switch by playing the 7-3-6.

upon hitting the 6, you "resolve" it into a major chord & that becomes your 1.

I'm enjoying the exercise though.

[T-Block]

Do you believe in switching from Major to minor during songs while improvising. Do you like the sound of it. I just started doing this on a regular basis about a year ago. Have you experimented with it.  I do it it mostly to change or enhance the mood of the song. That's just me!!!!

I occasionally do this just for kicks.  It does change the mood of the song.  Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.  While it may sound good to you, if it throws the church off, u better switch back, LOL.

upon hitting the 6, you "resolve" it into a major chord & that becomes your 1.

You can keep the 6 minor as well and call it your new 1.  If you turn it into a major chord, it could imply that you're modulating.  Or, it may be on purpose just to add color.  We call this technique the Picardy 3rd, ending on 6 with a major chord instead of a minor chord.

[MrAJJONES]

tHANX T-BLOCK
YOU JUST GAVE ME ANOTHER IDEA!!!

[Fenix]

Wait, how exactly do i do this??? Do i just play all minor chords instead of major chords?

I know Shekinah Glory did this on that song, "Praise is What i Do" but how do i do that for other songs?

[MrAJJONES]

7th Chord to 3rd chord to the 6th Chord resovling the 6th into the Major 1st chord or root.

[T-Block]

Wait, how exactly do i do this??? Do i just play all minor chords instead of major chords?

I know Shekinah Glory did this on that song, "Praise is What i Do" but how do i do that for other songs?

The way I switch from major to minor is take the 1 chord of the key you in and make it minor.  When your 1 becomes minor, it then becomes 6 of another key.  So, let's say I was playing Eb major and wanted to switch to Eb minor.  When I switch to Eb minor, I then use chords & progressions based off it's relative major, Gb.  Example:

Key Eb  LH/RH

Eb / Bb-Eb-G
Eb / Cb-Eb-F-Ab
(repeat a few times)

Eb / Bb-Eb-G

switch to eb / Gb

Cb / Gb-Bb-Eb   *RH Eb major chord switch to an Eb minor chord
Eb / Ab-Db-F
Ab / Gb-Cb-Eb
Bb / Ab-Db-F
(repeat a few times)

switch back to Eb, etc.  You can do that forever and end in whatever key u want.

You see how the bass notes changed?  That Cb tells me that I'm not in Eb major anymore.  You have to stop thinking in Eb major and start thinking in Eb minor / Gb major.  It's weird and kinda difficult at first, but with practice it becomes a piece of cake.

Now, on other songs, you just have to be a little more creative with it.  I need some specific song examples to demonstrate.

7th Chord to 3rd chord to the 6th Chord resovling the 6th into the Major 1st chord or root.

This technique is a little different from what I explained above.  In this case, you're going to the relative minor of the key u in.  So, if I'm in Eb, I would go to it's relative minor key, which is C minor using 7-3-6 progression.  Here, 6 becomes your new 1 so u would still be in Eb using Eb chords & progressions, but C becomes your temporary 1 chord.

Any questions?

[Fenix]

OK Thanks T-Block.

So basically lets say a song is a simple I IV V song, all majors. To make this song into a minor, i just play the progression as a I IV V but make all the chords minor chords?

[T-Block]

OK Thanks T-Block.

So basically lets say a song is a simple I IV V song, all majors. To make this song into a minor, i just play the progression as a I IV V but make all the chords minor chords?

If that works for the song then go ahead.  When I switch to minor, I'm not playing the same thing from the major key in the minor key.  I change up the whole feel of the song and play entirely different chords cuz now I'm in another key.

[Wuboiorganistpianist]

I like shifting from major to minor. IT doesn't fit for everything, but also try going to the dominant key or try a V/V progression. Experimenting is good.

[Big T.]

The way I switch from major to minor is take the 1 chord of the key you in and make it minor.  When your 1 becomes minor, it then becomes 6 of another key.  So, let's say I was playing Eb major and wanted to switch to Eb minor.  When I switch to Eb minor, I then use chords & progressions based off it's relative major, Gb.  Example:

Key Eb  LH/RH

Eb / Bb-Eb-G
Eb / Cb-Eb-F-Ab
(repeat a few times)

Eb / Bb-Eb-G

switch to eb / Gb

Cb / Gb-Bb-Eb   *RH Eb major chord switch to an Eb minor chord
Eb / Ab-Db-F
Ab / Gb-Cb-Eb
Bb / Ab-Db-F
(repeat a few times)

switch back to Eb, etc.  You can do that forever and end in whatever key u want.

You see how the bass notes changed?  That Cb tells me that I'm not in Eb major anymore.  You have to stop thinking in Eb major and start thinking in Eb minor / Gb major.  It's weird and kinda difficult at first, but with practice it becomes a piece of cake.

Now, on other songs, you just have to be a little more creative with it.  I need some specific song examples to demonstrate.


This technique is a little different from what I explained above.  In this case, you're going to the relative minor of the key u in.  So, if I'm in Eb, I would go to it's relative minor key, which is C minor using 7-3-6 progression.  Here, 6 becomes your new 1 so u would still be in Eb using Eb chords & progressions, but C becomes your temporary 1 chord.

Any questions? I'm gonna try this out!!!